Pelt drying device



K. D. HAY

' FELT DRYING DEVICE Oct. 28, 1947.

Filed July 12,1945

ORNEY Patented Oct. 28, 1947 OFFICE FELT DRYING DEVICE V .Kennethlll. Hay, Spotswood, J. Application July .12, 1945, Serial No. 604,617

'3 Claims.

My present invention relates generally to the treatment of pe'lts, and has particular reference to an improved drying and stretching device .for so-called c'asedpelts.

An animalskin that is removed from the carpass by peeling it oil? (as a .sock might be pulled on a foot) is known as .a 'cased pelt. After it is scraped to remove surplus flesh, 'it is ready for drying and stretching. 'It is a general object of my invention to prevideIa-device of simplified and relatively inexpensive character upon which such jip'elts may be .s'tioetohed, and bymeans of which the desired drying of the peltmay be facilitated.

Because of its tubular bag-like nature, the complete-and efiicient drying of a cased pelt presents a special problem. Whether the skin is moun'tedifor drying with the skin sideout or with the fur-side out, it .is only the outwardly-directed surface which is exposed to the air to a fully adequate degree. One of the objects of my invention is to -minimize this difficulty, and to pronideza-dev-ice of suehcharacter that the inwardlydirected suriaces of a pelt .snpported on it are enabled to dry more -quickly and tea better deagree. a r

.A characterizing feature 50f the present device resides the employment of a flat element within which special ventilating passages are proadded. f-Ilhe element has front and rear ends and .a lateral peripheral contour adapted "to fit snug y "within .a cased .pelt which :is stretched :rearwardly thereover; it is so constructed that the opposed inwardlydirected of the "-pelt are kept out of contact with each other; and it is proadded aplurality f ventilating passages exit'ending forwardly ffrom the :rear end, so that the inturned concealed portions of the pelt are thus afforded "a better opportunity to dry. The device has the usual forwardly-tapering shape, to conform to the general shape of a cased pelt, and

where the passages are arranged longitudinally in substantially parallel relationship, an unusually efficient result is achieved by virtue of the fact that the forward ends of the passages are disposed atadjacent intervals along the periphery of thedev'ice. r

- '1. have sfound that. this desirable result may accomplished to good advantage by forming the ventilating passages of a corrugated sheet whose convolutions define a plurality of adjacent conduits. An excellent material for the purpose is corrugated cardboard having spaced top and bottom walls composed of sheet material, and a corrugated spacing means interposed between these walls. The spaced walls serve not only to hold the opposed pelt surfaces apart, but where they are composed of .paper which is pervlous to the passage of .air, they constitute a desirable medium for establishing additional communication between the air in the passages and the inside surfaces of the pelt. I

Corrugated cardboard 'has the added advan- .tages of cheapness and lightness in weight. Moreover, it has adequate rigidity and strength, it lends itself readily to the fabrication of themes- .ent devices in a variety of different sizes and shapes, "and it affords a convenient medium ,f cr receiving thumb tacks or the like by means of which a pelt may .be mounted on it properly stretched condition.

I prefer to achieve the general objects and advantages of my invention in the manner illu'srtratively exemplified in the accompanying *draw- I ings, in which:

Figure l is azplan view ofa drying and stretching device 'of'the present improved type, showing the general outline of a 'c'ased pelt mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure "1, showing the device by itself;

'Figure'3 is an edge view; and

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Figure 1, "the approximate outline of the pelt being shown in dot-and-dash lines.

The device illustrated is composed of top and bottom walls In and H (Figures 3 and 4), and an interposed spacer formed of a single corrugated sheet 1 2. These elements may each be composed of paper or its equivalent, the walls 10 and "H being preferably composed of material which is pervious to the passage of air. The spacer element may be retained in position by adhesive means, and it too is preferably composed of a material which permits air and moisture to pass through it.

The peripheral contours of the device are best shown in Figures '1 and 2. Iherear end I3 is substantially straight, and the sides 1'4 and I5 con-verge or taper forwardly, each side having a convex curvature at the forward region o'f'the device to define a rounded and slightly ,pointed shape. "This contour conforms to the general shape of .a cased pelt which is intended to be stretched rearwardly over the device. I have shown the outline of an illustrative pelt [6 in Figure 1, it being understood that this pelt may be arranged skin side out or fur side out, as may be desired. Details of the pelt have been omitted from the drawing for purposes of simplification, and in Figure 4 I have indicated only the outline of the pelt. It will be observed that the device fits snugly within the pelt, and that the inturned surfaces are retained in spaced relationship by the walls I and l l, the pelt as a whole being secured in the desired stretched condition by means of thumb tacks, pins, or equivalent means (not shown) which pass through the pelt and penetrate into the supporting device adjacent to the rear edge portion l l of the pelt.

A hole 18, extending through the device near its rear end 13, may be used to suspend it upon a nail or hook; and a notch I9 may also be provided in one of the sides, as shown, to permit the device to be hung on a wire or line along with other devices upon which other pelts have been mounted.

It will be noted that the spacer strip I2 is so corrugated (Figure 4), that the convolutions define a plurality of adjacent passages 29 arranged in parallel relation and extending longitudinally, i. e., parallel to the lengthwise axis of the device. Each passage has a rear opening arranged in the rear end l3 of the device, and by virtue of the peripheral contour of the device the front openings of the passages are arranged in adjacent relationship along the front end and along the side edges of the device. The areas of these front Openings are of varying sizes, those toward the rear of the device being considerably larger than those at the tip. This is best indicated in Figure 2, in Which the dot-and-dash lines 2 l are intended to represent, diagrammatically, the longitudinal Walls or partitions which separate the passages or conduits 29 from one another.

The presence of these passages affords a desirable ventilation of the interior of the stretched pelt, whereby the drying procedure is improved and speeded. This result is aided by the fact that the opposed inside pelt surfaces are kept out of contact with each other, and the desired effect is further enhanced where the material of the walls I0, I I is pervious to the passage of air. If desired, even greater ventilation may be achieved by forming spaced transverse openings in the longitudinal partitions between the passages, and/or by forming spaced openings in selected regions of the walls [0 and I l. A simple and unusually inexpensive structure is the one shown in the present drawings, and for most purposes this construction is quite adequate to produce a useful ventilating effect.

Obviously, if desired, the ventilating passages may be arranged in a pattern other than the longitudinal parallel relationship shown, but for reasons of economy in manufacture, the structure herein illustrated and described is preferred, especially in View of the advantageous results arising from the cooperative effects of the general tapered contour of the device and disposition of the passages along axes parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device, whereby the front openings of the passages are disposed along the periphery, as hereinbefore described.

The present device may be used over and over, especially if it is allowed to dry out between periods of use. In any case, it is of such inexpensive character that its complete discard, after one or more uses, is not uneconomical. Obviously, it may be made in a range of sizes to suit varying requirements. By way of example, I may state that a length of approximately 18 or 19 inches, a width of about 6 or 7 inches at the rear end, and a, thickness of about 1% to inch, is a useful size for the drying and stretching of small pelts such as muskrats, or the like, In the case of mink pelts or the like, a somewhat longer and narrower device is more appropriate.

In general, it will be understood that many of the details herein described and illustrated may be modified by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A pelt drying device comprising a fiat element having front and rear ends and having a lateral peripheral contour adapted to fit snugly within a cased pelt stretched rearwardly over said element, said element being formed of spaced top and bottom walls composed of sheet material, and spacing means'interposed between said walls and defining a plurality of ventilating passages extending forwardly from said rear end, said spacing means comprising longitudinally extending walls arranged in spaced relationship and formed of integral parts of a single corrugated sheet.

2. A pelt drying device comprising a fiat element having front and rear ends and having a lateral peripheral contour adapted to fit snugly within a cased pelt stretched rearwardly over said element, said element being formed of spaced top and bottom walls composed of paper pervious to the passage of air, and spacing means interposed between said walls and defining a plurality of parallel longitudinal ventilating passages extending forwardly from said rear end, said spacing means comprising a single corrugated sheet of paper.

3. A drying and stretching device for a cased pelt, comprising a flat element having a blunt rear end and side edges converging forwardly to a rounded and slightly pointed front end, said peripheral contour being adapted to fit snugly within a cased pelt stretched rearwardly over said element, said element being formed of spaced top and bottom walls composed of paper pervious to the passage of air, and spacing means interposed between said walls and defining a. plurality of parallel longitudinal ventilating passages extending forwardly from said rear end, said spacing means comprising a single corrugated sheet of paper, said ventilating passages being parallel'to the longitudinal axis of said element whereby the front openings of said passages are arranged in adjacent relationship along the front end of said element and along said side edges.

KENNETH D. HAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,006,855 Lewis Oct. 24, 1911 1,232,059 Long July 3, 1917 1,271,418 Barnes 'July 2, 1918 1,866,709 Horsting July 12, 1932 2,362,062 Fishbeck Nov, 7, 1944 

